Governor Beshear hopes to get a proposal approved when the legislature reconvenes next week that would prohibit high school students from dropping out of school until they are legally adults.

Beshear has been pushing for years to raise the dropout age in Kentucky from 16 to 18 and is hopeful that this year he may get it done. The dropout age would be raised incrementally over the period of years to 17 and then to 18, allowing school districts and students time to adjust to the change.

Proponents say changing the law has social and societal benefits because dropouts are more likely to go to prison or rely on welfare.